the second coming
by AerynPalmer
Summary: Fi's back with a few secrets, Annie's leaving, Clu's dropped out, Molly's going back on tour, Jack's not going to school next year and Cary's not going back on tour with Molly's band...so what happens now?
1. Day 1 : Fi & Clu are home!

**Colorado, Phillip's House**

"Guys come on Fi's almost here." Molly shouted, hiding behind a chair in the front room.

Jack and Cary rushed into the room, fists full of confetti. Irene clicked her cell phone shut.

"Ok, I talked to Clu about ten minutes ago, he and Fi had just left the airport then so they should be here any minute. Oh and Molly, that was Dave on the phone"

Molly rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yea I know," Irene waved, "we'll talk later."

The occupants of the Phillips Colorado home switched off the lights and contorted themselves into odd positions behind chairs and bookshelves. The roar of a car engine coming to a stop and then footsteps clomping up the wooden stairs out front triggered a few squeals, quickly hushed.

"Clu," Fiona said with a sarcastic lilt in her voice, "What could be going on?"

"Why I don't know Fi," Clu responded in the same mockingly sarcastic tone, "The house is all dark, and like, totally spooky."

He and Fi exchanged glances and swung the tan wood door open.

"Surprise!" the occupants who had previously been hiding jumped out, Cary and Jack tossing confetti in the air.

Fi looked at Clu, "Oh my, I'm so surprised."

"Yea, " Clu responded laughingly, "totally."

They froze, smiled, dug their hands into their pockets and an instant later turned on the confetti throwing and shouting group. Spraying silly string from four containers.

"Surprise!" Fi and Clu shouted.

**Later…**

An hour later hugs had been exchanged, suitcases had been brought to rooms and Cary, Jack, Fi and Clu were on their hands and knees cleaning up the "surprise" confetti and string.

"So Fi," Cary started, "How is it being home from a city like New York, less traffic, less noise; less freaks right?"

"Well definitely less noise and traffic, but as far as freaks go…" She trailed off, looking over at Jack.

"Oh that does it," he picked up a handful of left over confetti and tossed it onto her head.

"Ah Jack, all over my hair."

"Which is nice by the way." Cary said.

"Yeah I really like it," Annie said.

"Yea Fi, I'm diggin' the new look." Clu added.

"Well short is the new long." Fi said, running her hands repeatedly through her hair in an attempt to rid it of the confetti bits.

"It's a good look for you sis."

"It makes you look older." Cary winked.

"Thanks."Fi smiled

**Fi's Room**

Annie and Fi sat on Fi's big, for a twin sized, bed. Fi was slowly unpacked her suitcase and Annie was slowly packing hers.

"Glad to be back?" Annie asked, absentmindedly twisting the ring on her finger.

"Yea, you never really think about it that much when you're gone, how much you miss your family, your house, your own comfy bed." Fi threw herself back dramatically and Annie laughed.

The smile slipped from her face a moment later. And her left hand moved across her right.

"Hey Fi," She said, more seriously, "Remember when you gave me this?"

Annie held out her open-palmed hand. Fi's old silver ring lay in it.

"Yea sure," Fi didn't reach for it.

"Well I want to give it back." Annie looked away and then back at Fi's confused face, "It's not that I don't want it anymore, or that I'm ungrateful, it meant a lot to me." She paused, searching for the right words, "It's just, I think you should have it back."

Fi smiled, "I gave it to you to keep."

Annie shook her head, and placed the ring in Fi's reluctant hand, "And now I'm giving it as a gift to you. Plus I would feel just awful if I lost it in Peru"

A few moments of silence passed, and slowly Fi slipped the ring back onto her thumb. The engraving disappeared and Fi sighed quietly; Annie didn't notice.

"So, you leave for Peru soon huh?"

"Yea,' Annie laughed, "My parents are a wreck, but I think it'll be kinda cool doing senior year there. Correspondence, and my parents are going to get a job close by, maybe even with the tribe I'm staying with."

Fi nodded, trying to hide her distraction by the ring.

"My plane leaves in two days actually,"Annie continued, "I'm trying to learn the language, just so I don't get totally lost down there."

"Totally," Clu said as he waltzed into Fi's room, "My mom says dinner's ready."

"Ok." Annie said, getting up and moving to the door.

"I'll…be down in a minute." Fi said, keeping her eyes on her half unpacked suitcase.

Annie looked at Clu, who just nodded at her to go.

"Hey Fi," Clu approached cautiously, sitting beside her on the bed, "are you alright?"

Fi looked at her hand a moment, then up at Clu, "Yeah Clu, I think I'm alright."

Smiling, he gave her a hug, "Ok, then let's go eat, I'm famished!"

Fi laughed, and this only encouraged Clu's smile.

"I'll race yah." He shouted, pushing her aside.

"Hey Clu, get back here." Fi ran after him.

**The Bell's House**

"Hey Cary," Clu said, twirling a drumstick in his fingers.

"Yea?" Cary stopped and leaned against Clu's doorframe.

"Dinner was kinda weird huh?"

Cary laughed, "What are you talking about?" He moved to sit on the futon chair opposite Clu's bed.

"Well, I don't know, something just seemed off."

Cary smirked, "Well I don't know, maybe it has something to do with Molly going back on tour, with Jack not sure if he wants to go to school next year or with Fi having graduated a year early."

"Or that Fi got her ring back from Annie," Clu paused, "Wait, Fi graduated, and mom and dad are going on tour with Mrs. P again? Heavy."

"Yea, and Clu don't tell anyone any of this ok? Because I think I'm the only one who knows."

Clu nodded.

"Wow, I can't believe mom and dad didn't tell me."

"I think it was pretty sudden, the band only found out Monday."

"So bro," Clu said tossing a pillow at Cary's head, which he caught, "You going on the road again?"

Cary smiled, "I don't know," he tossed the pillow back and struck Clu smack in the face, "I was thinking about maybe starting my own band, but I haven't really found anyone who could be in it."

Cary shrugged.

"Well dude I will always be willing to be your drummer," Clu said laying back on his bed as Cary got up and moved towards the door.

"Right, an in between classes only drummer, just what I need." Cary said casually.

"What if I didn't have classes?" Clu asked, hesitantly.

Cary grabbed the doorframe with both hands and swung him self back into the room looking at Clu, "What do you mean?"


	2. Day 2 : No School, No Words, I Promise

**The next day, the Phillip's House**

Molly sat in her living room waiting for Irene and the kids to come over. Strumming her guitar she heard the well known sound of Irene's black heeled boots clunk gracefully, and at a faster than usual pace, across the wooden floor.

"Molly, we need to talk about…" Irene trailed off waving her hands in a 'you know what I'm about to say' way and Molly continued to strum.

"I know Irene, I just haven't had a lot of time to think about this. Jack says he still hasn't heard back from any schools and Fi just came home and I got this weird voice message from Melinda, something about me being proud of Fi's accomplishment." She paused and stopped strumming, "Irene, I don't even know what accomplishment she's talking about."

The next room over Fi was standing, hiding just far enough behind a tall plant to not be seen by her mom and Irene, but just close enough to hear every thing they were saying.

"Hey Fi, you're back for not even a day and spying so soon?" Jack remarked.

"Shusssh, mom's talking about going back on tour," She viciously whispered to her brother.

Jack immediately joined her behind the plant without a word.

"Molly, what is there to think about?" Irene said, "This tour will be great, hit up all the fancy places, Jack will be off at school and Fi can come with us."

"I don't know, doing senior year by tour bus is awful tough and Jack won't have any solid place to come home to during breaks, plus there's me," Molly said, laying her fingers against the strings.

"Do you think I'm too old to go back on tour?" She asked.

Irene gawked, "Molly, Kiss is having their third reunion tour in about a month, they're old enough to be our fathers, does that answer your question?"

Molly smiled and began to strum again, "I just don't know what I'm going to tell my kids."

Irene scoffed, "Mine either. One's off in California, and the other…well the other knows already so it's actually not that bad for me."

Irene laughed.

"If only I was so lucky," Molly said smiling slightly.

"Aw c'mon, I'm sure your kids will be fine with it." Irene said reassuringly.

Fi looked at Jack, they were both wide eyed and their mouths hung open slightly. Jack swallowed hard.

"C'mon," Fi said, pulling Jack away from the plant.

"Where are we going?"

"I've got something to tell you."

**Fi's Room**

"Ok here's the thing," Fi said, nervously pacing back and forth in her room.

Jack was sitting on her bed, arms crossed against his chest. He looked wary and skeptical at the same time, a look only Jack could master.

"I'm," Fi paused looking for the appropriate words.

"Crazy, yeah Fi, I've known that for a while."

"Jack!," Fi frowned, "Will you just listen?"

"Ok, ok" Jack threw up his arms in surrender, "I'm all ears."

"I'm not going back to school next year."

"Fi," Jack started warningly.

"No, no, it's not what you think, I've already graduated." She finished quickly, standing ready for Jack's reaction.

"Wait," he asked confused, "how did this happen?"

"I had a lot of my credits from touring, you know," she smiled, "When I wasn't off looking for weird stuff and you and Clu went out to wherever, I was in the tour bus, doing homework."

Jack snorted, "Uh-huh, and so you've finished school."

"Right."

"And mom doesn't know."

"Right."

Jack shook his head, "I don't know how you do it Fi."

"It's not that I didn't want to tell her, I will just," Fi paused, sitting next to Jack on the bed, eyes pleading, "I don't know how to tell her."

"It's not that hard Fi, you just walk up to her," he was standing now, arms flailing in front, making his case, "And go, mom, I've graduated high school a year early, what oh what should I do with my life now?"

"Oh yea," it was Fi's turn to snort, "Just as easy as saying, mom, I graduated high school but didn't apply to any schools."

"Hey," Jack threw out a threatening finger pointed directly at Fi, "I applied to a school."

"Oh yea? Then why haven't you heard back from them huh? It's summer Jack you should have heard by now." Fi spat out.

"Really, well maybe I did hear back, ever think of that?" His voice grew quieter, unlike normal brother and sister fights this one held secret content that no matter what insults were thrown in with it, it could not be heard by the parent downstairs.

"Then why haven't you told anyone Jack?"

"Maybe because I don't want to go to school Fiona!" He stopped, putting his hands to the side of his head, "Great, now I've got a head ache."

"Why don't you want to go?" Fi's anger was lost to curiosity, her more prominent character trait.

"I just," Jack paused, bring his hands downs to his side, "It's weird, being in one place for more than a few days, going somewhere without your friends."

"You can make new friends." Fi stated gently.

"Yeah well, it's just weird ok?" He brought his right hand back to his head, "I've gotta go get some Tylenol or something."

Fi shrugged, "Hey Jack?"

He turned in her doorframe, "Yeah?"

"I get it." She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"Yeah well, just don't tell anyone, ok." He pointed his left hand threateningly at her.

"Promise." She threw up her hands in surrender.


	3. Day 2: Fi Can Sing?

**Later that night, the Phillip's House**

Fi was perched on her bed leafing through what looked like a very old and very cumbersome book. Her closet door hung open.

"Hey Fi," Annie said cheerily, entering the room, "What'cha doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Fi said unconvincingly, shutting the book quickly and tossing it behind her.

Annie smirked, leaning over and reading the cover, "Cool a book of spells!"

"No," Fi said sadly, "Not spells, not real ones anyways."

"They look pretty authentic Fi," Annie countered as she picked up the book and gave it a better look.

"Well, they don't work," Fi joked, letting a smile grace her lips she took the book from Annie.

Shoving it on the top shelf of her closet she shut the door.

"Are the Bell's here yet?" Fi asked, changing the subject.

Annie sat and looked at her friend a few moments before answering, she considered herself pretty good at picking out odd behavior, especially when it came to super natural stuff. And her friend had been way to cautious in shoving that book onto the shelf if it really was just a junk book.

"Uh, no,' Annie said, trying to mask her suspicion.

She picked up a fashion magazine laying on the nightstand. "Hey I got this weird call from Cary earlier."

Fi fell back on the bed, letting her eyes drift to the ceiling.

Annie continued, "He asked if I was taking my guitar to Peru."

"Why would he care about your guitar?" Fi asked, looking over, generally interested.

"I have no idea." Annie laughed, shrugging and turning the page of the magazine. "Oh, I almost got a pair of those the other day!"

Fi leaned against her arms, now fully engrossed in the magazine Annie held. "Those black ones?"

"Yea."

"Annie," Fi paused, "They're seventy dollars."

"What?" Annie smiled, "Can't a girl spoil her self once in a while?'

Fi smiled, she'd missed home. She'd missed the people, the music; she even missed the things she wasn't supposed to think about any more. Fi absentmindedly began twisting the blank band around her finger.

"Hey," Annie said, noticing the strange mood that was starting to set in the room, "Forget being quiet, the last thing I want on my second to last night here is to start thinking about things. Because then I start to miss things, or think about what I'm going to miss when I'm gone. Which is totally not fun."

"What'd you have in mind?" Fi asked. She was sick of missing things too.

Annie smiled sweetly at Fi, "Singing?"

Fi sighed, sitting up and facing her friend, "Annie, you know I'm no good."

"No" Annie said shaking her head insistently, "actually I don't. C'mon Fi we've never sang together."

"I don't know." Fi said shifting self-consciously.

Annie got up, moving to the corner where her over sized black suitcase sat. Next to that, resting peacefully in the corner was her guitar, she picked it up and brought it to the bed.

"We can play one of your mom's songs, since we both know them. Please Fi." Annie asked in the sweetest most desperate voice she could muster.

Fi sighed, again, "Ok."

Fi got up, retrieving her guitar and after a few moments of tuning from both girls they were ready to play.

Annie began, her voice floating through the air softly. Fi harmonized. Annie was effectively shocked by her friend's vocal ability. Molly had never told her Fi could sing and Fi had never mentioned it. Jack had said she couldn't very well, but that was probably because he was her brother. Fi also could have really practiced when she was away. Annie shrugged, struck the next cord and continued to sing. Wherever Fi learned, she was really good now.

**Dinner, that same night**

"That was way good Mrs. P." Clu said leaning back in his chair, rubbing his stomach to emphasize his point.

"Yea, it was really good mom." Jack says, standing up to help her clear the table.

"Oh," Irene stopped him, taking the dishes from his hands, "Why don't you and the others go and hang out, your mom and I have to talk."

"Getting out of chores?" Fi asked surprised, a smile stretched across her face, "No way, things really have changed around here."

Molly looked reluctantly over at Irene.

"It's just this one time." Irene warned, "Don't get used to it."

Chairs were pushed back lazily as everyone around the table stretched their legs. That night's dinner had been particularly long, hearing stories from Fi and Clu and telling adventures from the recording studio.

"Hey we should go sing some more." Annie said, nudging Fi with her elbow.

Fi's eyes grew twice their size.

"Wait, Fi's been singing?" Jack asked sardonically.

"I didn't know you sang." Molly said, interested in the topic, and trying to postpone Irene's conversation as long as possible.

"It's not a big deal." Fi shrugged bashfully looking at her feet.

"When did this happen?" Cary pressed.

Fi began to twist her ring, Jack and Clu noticed, frowning at one another.

"I," Fi paused, as if about to release one of her most guarded secrets to the crowd, "Was in a few musicals with Aunt Melinda. Nothing major, just to spend time with her and around the set."

"Musicals?" Molly asked surprised.

"Wow," Jack teased, "My sister's a theater geek!"

"Jack!" Fi playfully smacked him as he skidded past her and out of the kitchen. Annie and Cary followed.

"Fi," Clu said, wrapping his arm over her shoulders, "It's not that bad, being a theater geek I mean, I still think you're cool."

"Thanks Clu." Fi said sarcastically.

Clu smiled, trying his best not to seem distracted by the plain silver band around her thumb.


	4. Day 2: The Short Search For Cary

**Twenty minutes later** Fi found Cary in her room, reading one of her notebooks. She and the others had split up ten minutes ago to look for him. Jack and Clu had gone outside to look in the tour bus and cars, Annie went to search the back yard and Fi had gone inside.

Ned, Irene and Molly could be heard in the kitchen so Fi headed upstairs. Which is where she found him, quietly sitting, reading her notebook marked private.

"Ehem," Fi cleared her throat, "Can I help you?"

Cary jumped, shutting the notebook quickly. Fi walked over and took it from his hands, depositing it on her desk before taking a seat. She faced Cary.

"So were you looking for anything in particular, or just looking?"

Cary smiled in his disarming way and looked her straight in her big brown eyes; which were looking back at him skeptically, "Fi, what would you say about starting a band? Using your stuff, I mean it'd pretty good, and I've heard you sing, and you're pretty good."

Fi sighed. "Cary, I'm not good, and that stuff," she motioned to the desk behind her, more specifically the notebook, "It's not good either."

"Yeah, but you just think that because you wrote it."

"Why are you asking this?"

He left the bed, kneeling beside her chair so they were eye to eye.

"Because Clu and I are starting a band," Fi raised her eyebrows, "and we need a singer."

"You want me?" Fi said, looking shocked as she stood up.

"Yeah, why not, you know the road, you _can_ sing, and Clu and I think you'd be perfect for the part."

Fi smiled, then a wave of confusion washed over her, "Wait, Clu's got school."

"Ah, about that," Cary looked down, "He dropped out," his eyes went back to Fi.

"Oh," she said somewhat breathlessly, shock still on her face.

"And you're not in school either."

"Shhh, Cary, not so loud, I don't want anyone finding out about that."

"Why not, you got your diploma, just happened a year earlier." Cary reasoned.

Fi walked over and sat on her bed, Cary joined her.

"And you told me about it." He started to play with her hair. She waved him off and stood up again.

"Yeah," she stated frustrated, "Only because you read my email!"

"Hey I was looking for someone else's mail and yours just happened to open, and there it said, Congratulations Fi, and I thought, what has Fi got to be congratulated about? Should I know? Should I congratulate her? So I kept reading." He had started it as a defense and ended with a matter of fact smile on his lips.

Fi rolled her eyes.

"Anyways Fi, just think about it." He got up and walked to the door.

"Wait, Cary," Fi stopped him in the doorframe.

"Yeah?"

"Whose email where you looking for?"

"Your brother's." Fi raised her eyebrows again.

Cary playfully shoved her out of the way and started down the hall, "It's guy stuff. Something to do with some girl named Gale."

"Gabe?" Fi questioned.

'Yeah, that could be it." He shrugged and continued down the hall.


	5. Day 3: Deals and Closet Space

"Hey Annie," Jack said, uncharacteristically cheery, "Need a ride into town

**Day 3, The Phillip's House**

"Hey Annie," Jack said, uncharacteristically cheery, "Need a ride into town?"

"Uhm," Annie said, placing her empty bowl and glass in the dishwasher. "Yea actually, I've gotta make a stop at the bookstore, and I need to grab some stuff at the pharmacy."

"Smuggling drugs to Peru are we Annie?" Clu teased, entering the kitchen. Laughing. Cary in-tow.

"Har-har, no. I've gotta grab some Tylenol…just in case I find myself trapped on a plane with a bunch of crying babies."

"Solid." Clu said. Cary snorted.

"We're going downtown, you two wanna come?" Jack asked.

"I'm in!" Clu said enthusiastically. "We've gotta stop by the music shop though!"

"Well I wasn't gonna spend that much time in town actually…I kinda told someone I'd call them at a certain time." Jack answered, mumbling the last bit.

"Of course we're going to the music store Clu!" Annie answered, just as enthusiastically, "C'mon Jack, it'll be my last time for like...a whole year!" She pouted.

Jack sighed. "Cary?"

"Uh-uh," He raised his hands in surrender, "I'm not voting, I think I'll stick around here."

"Fine," Jack sighed, grabbing the keys from the counter and moving towards the door, "But we have to be back no later than four!"

"Alright," Clu exclaimed, "Shot gun!"

"Clu no far!" Annie shouted.

They started racing for the front seat, Jack sighed louder.

"Good luck man," Cary said empathetically, "See yah later."

Jack nodded, exiting to join Annie and Clu, who were arguing over who tagged the car first.

**10 minutes later…**

Cary was seated on the downstairs couch, guitar in hand. It was an old guitar of Molly's that, at some point, everyone had played to some degree…even his mother!

This couch was his favorite place in the big, musical house.

He liked how you sat and sunk into the cushions, but not enough to impair your ability to play guitar. The room smelled like cedar and vanilla candles.

He took a deep breath. Closing his eyes and thinking back on the past few years, and to his time on the road. He was in the middle of a favorite memory; one involving a farm, a stage, and playing guitar for a decently sized crowd.

He smiled.

Singing drifted through the air and he snapped out of the walk down memory lane. Standing up and tenderly putting the guitar back on its holder he followed the un-known voice up the creaky stairs.

Fi moved about her room, singing an old irish tune her grandmother had taught her and placing this sweater in that drawer and hanging this dress in that closet. She had a desk that needed serious cleaning. Lots of new books to shelve on a shelf she needed to buy. Two closets, their doors open as they happily got re-filled with her clothes, and a Buro that was receiving whatever didn't want to be put on a hanger.

Fi sighed. It was weird being home, nice, but strange. Her room smelled like cedar, like most of the house did, but with a hint of freesia. The light shown brightly through her sheer curtains, it made everything seem more alive.

New York had felt so grey compared to this. And living with Aunt Melinda this summer, well, she hadn't had much time to notice the color of things.

And to stay in one place for an extended period of time…well, she had never really gotten too comfortable with it. Ever.

She turned her attention to the desk, needing a break from fabric; she stuffed various pens and pencils into a jar.

"Annie was right," Cary said. He was casually leaning on her doorframe.

Fi jumped, knocking the jar of writing utensils to the ground.

"Cary!" she shouted.

He started to laugh, flopping on her bed. "Seriously though, I thought you were always a guitar girl. Where'd the singing come from?"

"I was," She paused, "I am…I just didn't have much opportunity to use it when I was living with Aunt Melinda. Singing is more of her thing. I guess I just picked it up."

She shrugged, sitting next to him.

"What if you could put both of your skills to use…at the same time?" He watched her reaction carefully.

Her face was excited, than surprised, than she blushed.

"Very funny, who told you about…"she trailed off.

He was looking at her, eyebrows raised in anticipation.

"Never mind." She said quickly.

"Who told me about what Fi?" He asked, "C'mon I think I'm missing out on a juicy story."

"More like the most embarrassing story of my life." She rolled her eyes, "That's not getting told, ever!" She added quickly.

Cary let one shoulder up, and then down. "So what do you think?"

"Are you still thinking about starting a band?" Fi asked. Returning to the relentless task of un-packing most of her earthly belongings.

"Yup." Cary said, grabbing the Cosmo on her bed stand and casually leafing through it, "I talked to Clue last night, we think we've got some tracks for sure…we just need lyrics. But yah know, we could totally use those songs in your notebook."

Her mouth opened, then shut; an obvious war of want and responsibility battling it out in her head.

"C'mon Fi" Cary pleaded, "It'll be great! You'd be perfect!"

"I'm definitely not perfect Cary." Fi shook her head, twisting the ring on her finger.

Cary watched her twist, brow slightly furrowing. She turned to look at him; he looked back at the magazine.

She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself again.

"Well you're right about that," Cary teased after a few minutes passed, "You own this."

He held the magazine up accusingly.

Fi smirked, holding up her hands, "That's Annie's, not mine."

"Well then," He said, tossing the magazine into the waste bin, "I can't think of any reason you shouldn't be our singer."

Fi sighed. "Cary…" She sat back on her bed, "What has your mom said about this?"

His face fell.

"Tell yah what. I'll make a deal with you. When your mom says yes, I'll be your band's singer." She stuck her hand out for him to shake.

He smirked, grabbing her hand, "You should be careful what deals you make, Fi."

He got up and bounded out the door. Leaving her to unpack.

"You have no idea." She mumbled.


	6. Day 3: Carside Discussions

**Day 3, The Phillip's House, Post-Dinner**

"Clu," Cary yanked his younger brother aside after dinner, "We gotta talk…about…you know."

It took all of three seconds for the light to dawn in Clu's eyes. "Oh…yea," he smirked conspiratorially.

The boys made their way to the garage. Clu sat on the hood of the blue car he co-owned.

"Okay, listen," Cary began, business like, "Remember last night when you guys couldn't find me?"

Clu frowned, "Aw man, yea…I was searchin' for you for like…an hour!"

"More like twenty minutes…" Cary began to argue but stopped him self, "That's besides the point. Listen."

He shifted to make sure Clu was really paying attention, "I was in Fi's room….I was reading her journal and…"

"Bro," Clu held up his hands in objection, "That is totally un-cool. Reading a chick's journal without permission is like…the number one no in the guy's handbook."

Cary rolled his eyes, "Are you gonna let me finish?" He waited, Clu nodded, and Cary continued, "Annie said she was a really good singer…and all really good singers have lyrics. And Fi did, a whole notebook full of stuff. And it was actually pretty decent."

"Woah," Clu held up his hands again, sliding off the car, "Bro are you saying…what I think you're saying?"

"I don't know Clu, I haven't really said much of anything you keep interrupting me," He playfully punched his brother in the shoulder.

"You want Fi to be our singer!" Clu shouted.

"Shhhh!" Cary slapped a hand across the back of Clu's head, "You want the whole house to find out?"

"Does Fi know?" Clu asked rubbing his head.

"'Course she knows…I asked her once I read her notebook." Cary smiled smugly.

"But…can she sing? I mean I know Annie said she could an' all but Annie…"

"Annie what Clu?" Annie asked, jumping up from behind the car.

Cary and Clu jumped in unison.

"Woah," Cary put a hand to his heart, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Jack said, sliding out on the dolly from underneath the car, "To have heard you talking about getting my kid sister to be the singer in a band you're starting…or have started…"

Jack looked puzzled for a moment, "You guys haven't actually started this band yet have you?"

"Nah buddy," Clu said, throwing his arm over Jack's shoulder, "We would have totally let you in on it from the get go…it's just…this is kinda the get go."

Clu suddenly looked puzzled and Jack rolled his eyes. Annie perched herself on the hood of the car and looked to Cary expectantly.

"What Clu's trying to say…I think…is that we just got the great idea of starting our own band." Cary's blue eyes brightened with excitement. And the others couldn't help but smile.

Everyone except Jack; Jack just looked skeptical, "Does Irene know about this?"

Clu laughed, "Psh no."

Cary smacked him across the stomach.

"Ouf," Clu bent over in slight pain. "You gotta stop hitting me man."

"We're gonna ask…tell…we're gonna tell her once we put it all together." Cary assured Jack.

"Which is when?" Annie asked enthusiastically. Jack eyed her warily.

"What? This is the most exciting news since I found out I was accepted to study in Peru!" A look of sadness shot across her face. "I can't believe you guys are starting a band just when I'm about to leave!" she pouted.

Clu sighed and rolled his eyes, "Listen Annie, it's not like we did it intentionally…it was just perfect timing…except for you of course." Clu shrugged and Annie continued to pout on the hood.

"What happened to you and school?" Jack asked, crossing his arms.

Clu ran a hand threw his hair, letting it sit at the back of his neck, "Same as you…'cept instead of not going at all…I…well I dropped out so it's pretty much the same thing. Except I've already gone for a year."

"You dropped out?" Annie and Jack said simultaneously, mouths half-opened in shock.

Clu just smirked infectiously and shrugged.

"Yea, great family tradition," Cary laughed sarcastically, "Anyways, back to our original conversation…"

"About you starting a band that Irene doesn't know about…with Clu, whose dropped out and told almost no one and my sister, who you haven't even heard sing." Jack said.

"I have heard her sing. This morning, and she's good," Cary reasoned, "And Fi's graduated so…"

"Fi's graduated?!" Annie asked in shock.

"She agreed to it," Cary finished, not paying attention to Annie's outburst.

Jack became very thoughtful, then looked Cary clear in the eye, "On what condition?"

Cary sighed internally, smirking slightly, Jack always knew if the whole story hadn't been told.

"If my mom agrees to it, then she's in."

Jack nodded.

"You know," Clu said, throwing an arm around Jack again, "We don't have a second guitar player…or keyboardist, or manager…or"

"Clu," Cary cut him off warningly.

"What I'm tryin' to say man, is that we would be honored if you joined us!" Clu stuck out his hand forcefully.

Jack looked apprehensive, then smiled, "Sure…I mean, I have been playing guitar almost as long as Cary now."

"Righteous," Clu shook Jack's hand.

"But," Jack added, "Only after Irene agrees."

"Right," Cary smiled, "Not a problem."

"We're are you going?" Jack asked a retreating Annie.

"To find Fi," She responded sharply, "She and I have some serious girl-talk guidelines to go over…like…how you are always supposed to tell a friend if you've graduated high school…a year early!"

She turned and shot out of the room.

Clu shook his head; "I would not want to be Fi right now."

Jack shrugged, lying down on the dolly and sliding back under the car, "Lemme know how Irene takes it." He murmured.

"Dude," Clu said, deeply confused, "What are you doing to my car?"

"Our," Jack emphasized, "Car is driving funny. So I'm making sure everything is ok."

"Dude," Clu looked at Cary then back to the car, "You don't think it's haunted again do you?"

Cary rolled his eyes and smacked Clu across the back of the head, hard, and walked out of the room.

"Bro, you gotta stop doing that!" Clu complained, rubbing the back of his head and following Cary out of the room.


End file.
